Kentucky Basketball

Shaedon Sharpe to Declare for Draft, WILL Maintain Eligibility

April 21, 2022
Walter Cornett

men’s basketball freshman guard has submitted his name for the 2022 Draft and will go through the NBA’s evaluation process, he announced Thursday. Sharpe will go through the NBA Draft process and maintain his eligibility. The deadline to return to school is June 1.

“These last four months at Kentucky have been nothing short of amazing,” Sharpe said. “To have Coach Cal and the rest of the coaching staff, my teammates/brothers, and the Big Blue Nation welcome me into the family has been a true blessing.

“My path to this point wasn’t a straight road of successes but my passion for this game and my dream to play at the highest level has allowed me to overcome challenges and disappointments and has shaped me into who I am today.

“In all honesty, nothing could truly prepare me for the decisions I’ve had to make along the way, but God has placed special people in my life to help guide, support and instill confidence in me to help prepare for these moments. Through discussions with Coach Cal, my parents, my mentor, and long consideration and prayer I’ve decided to enter to my name in the NBA draft while maintaining my college eligibility.

“I’m not sure what my future holds beyond today, but I do know that I have to take this next step to officially go through the process to test the waters and receive feedback. I pray you all will understand this is not a decision I’ve taking lightly.  

“I’d like to thank God for his many blessings and for always guiding my path,” Sharpe said. “To Coach Cal and the rest of the coaching staff, thank you for your guidance and support both on and off the court. To my family and friends, your unconditional love has seen me through the ups and downs and to BBN I will be eternally grateful for your patience and understanding while I go through this process.”

Players can submit paperwork to receive evaluations from the NBA and participate – if invited – in the NBA Draft Combine which is slated to take place May 16-22.

“Shaedon and his family told me that he intends to put his name in the draft while retaining his eligibility, and they have my full support to test the process just as every player does,” head coach John Calipari said. “Shaedon has been a great teammate and has handled everything that comes with being a college student-athlete the way he should. Since he arrived on our campus, he’s been an integral part of our program and he’s already registered for summer and fall classes, but we support this decision to explore every option and make the best decision for his future based on all of the information he can receive.”

Sharpe was a midyear enrollee for the Wildcats in 2021-22. Originally a member of the 2022 recruiting class and the No. 1 overall prospect, Sharpe was the first top-ranked signee to join the Cats since Nerlens Noel in 2012.

The London, Ontario, native averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists during the 2021 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and led the event in points scored. He concluded his high school career at Dream City Christian Academy and averaged 24.1 points and six rebounds per game as a junior en route to earning The Circuit’s Player of the Year honor.

Sharpe began his high school career at H.B. Beal Secondary School in his hometown and led the team to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations Championship.

Furthermore, he represented Team Canada at the 2019 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Brazil where he averaged 13.0 points, 3.7 boards and 2.3 assists as the team took home a silver medal.